Anti-crime initiative designed to solve and prevent violence in city neighborhoods; Mayor’s anti-crime effort supported by city and private social service agencies

Mayor Byron W. Brown, along with Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson, Wednesday conducted another anti-crime/anti-violence door-to-door neighborhood campaign following the recent shootings of two children on Sprenger Avenue on the city's East Side.

The door-to-door effort, called WAVE (Working Against Violent Events) involves the distribution of leaflets that contain phone numbers for the confidential Buffalo Police tip line, as well as the Mayor's Call and Resolution Center and other agencies involved in anti-crime and anti-violence activities.

"I started this initiative in September 2007 as a way for law abiding citizens to provide information confidentially and without fear of reprisal, so we can find the people responsible for acts of violence and bring them to justice," said Mayor Brown. "It worked last year when the public helped us find the gunman who killed two youth on East Delavan near Courtland and it worked again last week when police arrested the person who shot Nancylia Salter on Hagen Street. In each case, I made a direct appeal to the residents of our city to help us bring these criminals to justice and each time the public responded. I hope that they will again help us find the individual or individuals who shot these innocent children this past Monday evening on Sprenger Street."

Mayor Brown praised the dedication and tireless work of the Buffalo Police Department's Homicide Squad for the quick arrest of a suspect following the September 7, 2007 murder of Alan Stepney and Devonte Murray on Buffalo's East Side and the recent arrest of Devon Jones for the alleged shooting of Nancylia Salter.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2007, Mayor Brown and Commissioner Gipson launched a new Buffalo Police Department initiative entitled Working Against Violent Events (WAVE). The goal of the initiative is to provide a quick response to areas experiencing violent crimes, including homicide, by working with local residents to solve crimes. The creation of this program is an outgrowth of the city's very successful and nationally acclaimed Save Our Streets program.

This past weekend, as with last year, Mayor Brown, Commissioner Gipson, community- and faith-based leaders went door-to-door in the vicinity of Hagen Street and East Delavan distributing informational flyers to residents that helps them supply tip information to the Buffalo Police Department confidentially and anonymously. This evening, like previous WAVE efforts, the Mayor, Police Commissioner and community leaders concentrated on the neighborhood surrounding the Sprenger Street crime scene. The Police Department's confidential tip line number is 847-2255.

"When I launched this effort in September 2007, I said it was my main concern to improve the overall quality of life for all Buffalo residents," said Mayor Brown. "Developing programs such as WAVE is another tactic we will utilize to reduce and ultimately remove crime from our streets. By getting out into the streets and recognizing what needs to be done to continue lowering our crime rate, we are providing another method of support to our law abiding citizens."

With violent crime declining 12% in 2007 versus 2006 and overall crime declining 7% over the past two years, including a 20% decrease in homicides through August of this year versus the same time period in 2007, the city's anti-crime tactics are clearly having an impact on criminal activity in Buffalo.

The Mayor emphasized, however, that the horrible acts of violence that have occurred recently, where children have been the victims of senseless acts of violence, reinforce his resolve to use every method available to fight crime.

In addition to the neighborhood WAVE sweep, Mayor Brown announced that Child and Adolescent Treatment Services (CATS) will also be available to any concerned residents for an informational meeting at the Bob Lanier Community Center, 185 Lang Avenue in Buffalo on Friday, September 5, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. For more information please call 335-7018.

Child and Adolescent Treatment Services programs include: counseling, an afterschool program from 3-6 pm at four locations, anger management counseling and an Addictions and Neighborhood Accountability Program.

Also, as an added service by CATS, through the Child Advocacy Center, the organization can provide to the Police and District Attorney a specially trained child interviewer who can aid witnesses to provide accurate statements and descriptions.

Spectrum Human Services will also be involved in the overall response effort.

"As a result of the recent random violence in the City of Buffalo, Child & Family Services will be partnering with Mayor Byron W. Brown and Elaine Blyden, Executive Director of the Bob Lanier Center, by providing outreach and counseling services to the affected families through its Clinic Plus program," said Belle Walls Montree, Vice President of Behavioral Health Services. "The Child & Family Services' Clinic Plus program provides screening, assessment and counseling in both the home, clinic setting and community-based settings."

In addition, Mayor Brown's Winter Employment Program applications will be available at the press conference. We will have a downloadable version on line by tomorrow winter employment program for youth between the ages of 16 - 21 whose family income is at or below the poverty level. Youth will work 8 - 10 weeks at 7.15 an hour for 20 hours per week. The goal is to transition the youth into unsubsidized employment.

"Fighting crime with police tactics is important, but we have to go further in our ongoing effort to prevent crime before it occurs," said Mayor Brown. "These efforts by Child & Family Services, working in conjunction with the city's Department of Community Services, along with our Summer and Winter Youth Employment programs, enable us to implement programs that will provide better options for our youth to follow, rather than the pull of street crime."